Locking FPS in Fallout 4: Unlocking Smooth Gameplay
Since its release in 2015, Bethesda’s Fallout 4 has remained an highly popular open-world RPG, yet many players still struggle with maintaining a locked frame rate (FPS). Locked FPS ensures that your graphics settings remain consistent, eliminating the pesky screen tearing and stuttering woes. In this article, we will unravel the mysteries of locking FPS in Fallout 4, providing you with a comprehensive guide on enhancing your gaming experience.
What do I need to know about Fallout 4’s FPS?
Before we dig into the nitty-gritty world of FPS locking, let us first understand the basics. Fallout 4’s FPS cap rests at 60, which is suitable for most modern gaming PCs (except for those high-end GPU systems). However, if you have limited hardware resources, you may find gameplay performance suffering. This is caused by the game’s rendering speed often exceeding the GPU’s processing speeds, leading to frame drops.
Solutions for Locking FPS in Fallout 4
- **Enable Cap FPS in Graphics: Inside the game’s settings, navigate to Graphics→Display→Frame Rate, and toggle Enable Cap FPS (Max 60)** switched ON. This will restrict your FPS and prevent it from exceeding the capped mark.
- **Force Async Compute in Graphics: Ensure Sync Compute is set to Enabled Only for GPU-Aware Mods. This setting, typically found in the Graphics settings, is intended to optimize performance for mods using AMD’s Async Compute. Leaving it enabled can lead to smoother operations.
- **Graphics-Intensive Mods: Load Order. Prioritize load-orders for mods that heavily rely on graphical optimizations. Load order optimization tricks can significantly impact your frame drops. Ensure that graphics-intro mods are loaded before game modded content.
- Clean up your PC: Avoid running resource-intensive programs alongside running Fallout 4. Keep as many unnecessary processes running minimized** or closed to dedicate max resources to the game.
- Configuring the Game.: In the game’s folder ( documentsMy GamesFallout4ini) find the Fallout defaults.ini file and locate
[Graphics] r.limit_framerate = 6
0(60
[Graphics] r.UseVSync = 1. (This setting will also take care of VSync) Update its values to
r.limit_frame_rate = 60and reset
r.UseVSync = true`. Save the changes to test the FPS lock.
Ticking Boxes: Additional Tweaks Explained
Option name | Description | Toggle ON/OFF (Recommended) |
---|---|---|
MotionBlur | Reduces motion blur to create a more stable frame rate., | ON |
GPU-Scaling | Scale UI and HUD elements to 50%; this can improve frame buffer rendering., | *OFF |
Depth of Field(DOF) | Adjust depth cues to improve visual clarity. Higher values can cause performance hits. | |
* | *OFF | |
Tess Scale | Adjusts level of spatial detail. Lower values improve processing speed., | Low OR Medium |
Common Pitfall: Avoiding These Settings Combos
**Setting | Combination |
---|---|
Disable async compute | Combos : Disable async compute paired with MotionBlur |
Force asynchronous compute | **Combos : Ignore the GPU’s async-compute capabilities |
Incorrect video settings | **Combos :/ Set video settings to low OR the game’s native resolution/ |
Troubleshoot Common Issues
Screen TEaring:
- Ensure your GPU capabilities support VSync.
- In most cases, VSync can eliminate tearing.
- Disable it from the game settings if you encounter screen glitching.
Stutter/FPS Drops:
- Over-tweaking graphics settings (increasing detail, shadow size, etc.).
- Closing/closing unnecessary programs or services related to the game.
- Up-sampling or resolution issues beyond the game’s native resoulution.
Additional FAQs Explained
Q: Why does the frames per second (FPS) keep drooping?
A) The game’s rendering speed surpass the target FPS, causing the system
to slow down. It either needs more processing power, CPU, or GPU upgrades.
Keep an eye on system specifications within the game’s settings.
If your system meets requirements consider tweaking graphics settings or disable over-the-top features like super-high-resolution textures
Additional Tips:
- Be patient/test different settings to ensure optimum performance.
- VSync or Anti-Aliasing, both crucial for visual quality, may reduce in-game performance.
- Adjust
[Graphics] r.l_imit_framerate=value
in the Fallout defaults.ini ini file to set your desired cap:
[Graphics] r.SetVSync = true/false
- Clean out PC temps: Ensure your system stays at standard temperatures for optimal performance.
- Be alert for memory exhaustion and adjust video preferences to balance performance.
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